Thursday, September 26, 2013

Another Day, Another Low Ranking for Oklahoma -- 50th in Women's Health, Shortage of OB-GYNS

This is just unbelievable! Now Oklahoma is dead last in women's health and there is one (1) OB-GYN for every 18,713 women.

Yet Governor Fallin saw fit to call a special session of the Legislature to deal with Tort Reform which cost the taxpayers. Even then there was little to no debate as the GOP shoved everything through the Legislature passing 23 lawsuit reform bills to end week long special session. Get that -- they passed 23 lawsuit reform bills with little to no debate. Did they even know what they were voting on in the special session or was this putting up a bill and GOP going along like lemmings?

The bills are intended to replace a single, omnibus measure enacted in 2009 and declared unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court in June. The bills are intended to correct the 2009 law's violation of the state's single-subject rule. One bill, the most controversial, deals with the so-called certificate of merit requirement, which the court has twice thrown out on other grounds.

Another 40 times of passing a bill that has been thrown out by the Courts and they will catch up with the GOP House on Affordable Healthcare Act. While women's health issues are ignored, the Republican State Government passed tort reform as ALEC and the State Chamber wanted in a special session. What has happened to the Republicans to sell out to ALEC, the Chamber, Tea Party (Koch Bros) and other special interest groups in Oklahoma? Eventually they will suffer the same fate as the Democrats did in this state prior to 2002 when Republicans took the House and then eventually the Senate. GOP has gone too far hard right while most voters are center right. Today they are in the hip pocket of special interests just like the Democrats were before 2002. IMHO one of these days voters are going to wake up and say "ENOUGH ALREADY" decided to give reasonable people their vote.

Reading this made my blood boil at OK GOP elected officials. What are they wasting our tax dollars on because it sure is not education or healthcare. This week there is an Energy Conference in Tulsa on October 4th hosted by Governor Fallin. Oil and gas will love it!

OKLAHOMA CITY —The implementation of the Affordable Care Act is fast approaching, and Oklahoma doctors are bracing for a dramatic rise in the number of patients seeking care.

Dr. Lydia Nightingale practices obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She said the wave of women seeking care will overwhelm doctors.

“We're really excited about the opportunities of the Affordable Care Act," Nightingale said. "We want to increase access to women's care and we're going to do that, but as a consequence there's going to be a large influx of patients."

In a study by the Center for American Progress, Oklahoma ranked 50th in the nation for women’s health.

The same report highlighted another alarming statistic. In Oklahoma, there is a critical shortage of Ob-Gyns, with only 1 for every 18,713 women.

“We're still at a low level across the nation, and Oklahoma is one of the lowest,” she said.

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said 46 out of Oklahoma’s 77 counties don’t have a single Ob-Gyn. Nightingale said the statistics are not surprising.

“Soon, we're going to the same number Ob-Gyns retiring as that are coming out of residency,” Nightingale said.

As more Oklahoma women sign up for insurance, Oklahoma doctors like Nightingale worry it will affect their practices.

“I do feel the burden of patients who are trying to get into the clinic, and there may not be enough spots for them and places for them to be seen,” Nightingale said.

The same report highlighted another alarming statistic. In Oklahoma, there is a critical shortage of Ob-Gyns, with only 1 for every 18,713 women.

Oklahoma Republicans have also attacked Planned Parenthood like in other states where some women go to get help. If Planned Parenthood was closed which the GOP wants, then where are these women supposed to go? Time Oklahoma voters woke up to what the hard right Republicans are doing to this state and start voting out the hard right and elect common sense office holders from both parties. The GOP has proven that one party Government doesn't work just like it didn't work for the Democrats earlier.

Time to take Oklahoma back toward the center and away from the hard right cliff they are on and at the same time throw ALEC who writes the bills out of the State. If a member of the legislature cannot write his own bill, then it shouldn't be passed. I can understand help from legal but to allow an organization like ALEC to write the same legislation in state after state is just wrong. Organization after organization has left ALEC due to their hard right stance and our Governor gets an award from them.

Time for the Oklahoma Legislature to answer to all the people not just the special interests!